Brewery Ommegang Rare Vos

Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY has established itself as one of the premier Belgian-style beer companies in America. Its ales are enjoyed across the country, and one of my favorite beers from Ommergang is their Belgian-style Amber ale, Rare Vos.

Rare Vos poured a clear honey color with a thumb-width, frothy white head. The nose is interesting with fruity esters that result in a candy-like aroma, with yeast and spices mixed in.

The body is smooth with lots of malt and some sugar with more spices, orange notes, and light hops underneath. The finish is not to long or overwhelming but has a nice dryness that does a good job of balancing out the big front.

The beer has a nice effervescence and leaves some hanging lace on the glass.

Overall, this is a really nice amber ale. The malts and sugar up front outweigh the hops, which might offend hop fans but I love the rich, deep body of this beer. The spices, malt and fruit make this my ideal Spring/Fall beer. Another gem from Ommegang.

Rare Vos will pair well with lots of different foods. In a past beer dinner I paired this amber ale with a chicken sausage and mushroom ragout which turned out to be one of the best dishes all night.

Lenn Thompson

Lenn Thompson, a proud Pittsburgh, PA native, moved to Long Island more than a decade ago and quickly fell in love with the region’s dynamic and emerging wine community. A digital and content marketing professional by day, he founded NewYorkCorkReport.com in early 2004 to share his passion for the wines, beers and spirits of New York State. Since then, the site has become the premier source for independent New York wine commentary, reviews and news.
Formerly the editor of the Long Island Wine Gazette, a contributor to Edible Brooklyn, wine columnist for Hamptons.com and regional editor for Appellation America covering the Long Island and Hudson River Valley regions, Lenn contributes to Edible East End, Palate Press, Patch and is the wine columnist for Dan’s Papers in the Hamptons.
Lenn is also on the board of directors for Drink Local Wine, and is the creator and founder of TasteCamp, a yearly regional wine immersion event for writers and bloggers.
An admitted riesling and cabernet franc fanatic, he’s intensely passionate about eating drinking local and the many local wine regions of America.
Lenn lives in Miller Place, NY with his wife Nena, son Jackson and daughter Anna.